Our modern-day lives are indeed busy. Technology continues to speed up our world, placing excessive demands on our time, causing personal expectations to rise. This undue stress ends up plagueing us with health damaging, negative emotions as it weaves its distorted vibration through our nervous system.
if reaching our full potential is on our radar, then our own self-care in this type of fast-paced environment is vital to our survival and more important than ever.
Strength Training and Emotional States –
Regular exercise:
Reduces stress levels
Wards off depression and feelings of anxiety
Boosts self-esteem and self-confidence
Improves quality of sleep
Although all exercise increases hormonal release, if we want to get the best bang for our buck when it comes to our “happy endorphin release,” strength training should be our focus.
Strength training is two-fold in its power, boosting our energy levels yet providing a calming effect that helps release negative stress hormones built up in the body. It strengthens our muscles and bones and helps us to maintain and manage our body weight. It counteracts and dissipates negative emotions before they become life altering. Without this release, this build-up might otherwise threaten to overflow and send us into an emotional down-spin.
If this internal “junk” is left untreated, stress levels climb and negatively affect every part of our being – our physical, mental and emotional wellness included.
Why is this important? Because high levels of stress are responsible for a large percentage of disease.
Resistance exercise is the perfect antidote to stress levels because it releases natural endorphins empowered to regulate and balance our emotional state helping our brains work better. These natural hormonal healers wash through us like medicine creating positive feelings while calming, soothing both body and mind of all the “junk” that comes our way during the course of our busy days.
It is an internal cleansing that helps us to get back in touch with our “inner selves.”
Physical health is intertwined with mental and emotional health and anyone that believes they can manage their life without exercise is in for a rocky road.
When physical health is strong and fit, mental and emotional health improves and when physical health is in decline, then so too is mental and emotional health.
They work as a unit, and can’t be divided, one from the other.
Our body, mind and soul need nature’s special chemicals – the ones released during vigorous movement or activity, and strength training gives us the most “bang for our buck.” By boosting our heart-rate while strength training, we pump oxygen rich blood through our system, benefiting all our body’s cells, tissues and organs… including the brain. It is a domino effect that stimulates brain wave activity and provides energy to the rest of the body. Even when tired and fatigued, a proper exercise session wakes up our brain and helps rejuvenate it again.
The importance that chemical endorphins play and their role in our happiness, fat storage, energy release, muscle-building and disease control cannot be overstated and proper strength training is key. It is a multi-purpose solution offering benefits to all areas of our health beyond muscle, bone and joint strength. Flexibility and heart health improve along with mental and emotional natures. And, all it takes is just 2-3 sessions weekly. For those conditioned properly, performing a more intense workout, one lasting longer than 30 minutes is definitely doable. However, for most people, 20-30 minutes should suffice.
From managing stress to processing emotions, proper, exercise is key. Exercise, particularly resistance type exercise oils the wheels that turn in our heads when we think, feel and do. Whatever our mental state is at the time we begin exercising, we will be happier, more fulfilled and feel so much better about ourselves and our lives post workout.
It is a well-spring of “chemical magic,” and the gift we give ourselves when we make strength training exercising a priority.
With diligent, consistent strength training workouts and a strong commitment to follow through, we’ll soon enjoy significan positive mental, emotional and physical results.
If you truly want to take command of your emotions, your health and your life…
“Healthy Self Healing” can help you achieve this goal.
For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:
